The rotation rates of galaxies disagree with the Newtonian physics prediction based on the visible mass; dark matter - matter that does not interact at all with light - is believed to account for the significant discrepancy. Despite the universe being 26.8% dark matter (DM), its particle identity is unknown. This research aims to study some of the possible mechanisms for producing dark matter in proton-proton collisions, namely mono-W/Z processes. In these events, proton-proton collisions produce a DM particle-antiparticle pair, along with W/Z bosons. Since the DM does not interact with light, it must be observed by its absence - "missing energy" that is carried off by the DM - the detected boson recoils off this missing energy. Since DM is not part of the standard model of particle physics, we introduce the candidate DM particle χ and the two-Higgs doublet model (2HDM) to allow the necessary interactions. Since χ is hypothetical, we choose candidate values for its mass between 1 and 1300 GeV. Montecarlo simulations of particular mono-boson processes are run at 8 and 13 TeV using MadGraph; background processes are filtered out by applying momentum cuts. We determine the likelihood of the mono-boson processes via the resulting cross-section and by studying the plots of the missing energy and momentum. Although this research is currently conducted via simulations, the LHC is scheduled to begin Run II in April 2015 after upgrades to the proton beam energies. We wish to analyze this real data through similar studies of missing energy and momentum, and be at the forefront of this scientific event. This research will ultimately contribute to understanding the nature and production of dark matter, giving us a more complete description of our universe.

In order to detect the products of high-energy particle collisions produced at accelerators like the large hadron collider, specialized sensors are required. At a basic level these sensors are not so dissimilar from what you would find in a digital camera, just tuned differently. In order to control these sensors, specific frameworks are developed to configure and gather data from the sensor as rapidly as possible. Recently, efforts have been made to create a more general-purpose framework, Basil, which can be used on multiple sensors. This research focuses on adding to the Basil framework to make it compatible with our development board, SEABAS, and with T3MAPS, a sensor prototype we are testing here at the University of Washington. T3MAPS is cheaper to produce than current sensors, and is also more resistant to radiation. Both qualities are highly desired at the Large Hadron Collider’s detectors, which use many thousands of sensors to track particles. T3MAPS must go through the same process, using the Basil framework to construct commands and gather data from the sensor. By using a general-purpose framework like Basil we are able to make relevant speed comparisons to other sensors using the same hardware platform. Currently, Basil is 90% functional on our development board and has been conformed to work with the Basil framework on other boards. After Basil is fully functional on SEABAS, T3MAPS will be compared to other sensors currently used in the Large Hadron Collider.

ATLAS, a Toroidal LHC Apparatus underwent an upgrade from 2013 to 2014 as the first phase of the preparation for High Luminosity LHC. An additional beam layer called the Insertable B-Layer (IBL) is installed between the existing pixel detectors and is situated at a radius of 3.2 cm. This new layer increases the performance of the tracking at high luminosity. In order to reconstruct the path of the particles in the detector, the position of the detectors must be determined precisely. Present work involves the use of cosmic muons that provide different topology in accessing the stability of the new geometry and the alignment software. The final determination of the geometry of the detector would be used as the reference geometry for the real collision data collecting. This project prepares the ATLAS inner detector for the upcoming runs in May 2015.

The Standard Model of particle physics is an extremely successful theory in explaining vast phenomena, and almost all of its predictions have been verified up to date, most recently with the finding of the Higgs. One of the predictions is that the gauge bosons or vector bosons in the electroweak sector can interact with each other through quartic vertices. The goal of the study is to search for such interactions which can occur in many decay channels. Using Madgraph Monte Carlo generator, the quartic interaction is simulated using the vector scattering process and probed for the Zgammajj channel in which the Z can decay into either two leptons or neutrinos. The simulated events are compared with Standard Model predictions and the so called "anomalous quartic gauge coupling" interpretation, in which the Standard Model is extended. The signal events is carefully selected using information of the resulting particles and the quarks jet information. The event generator study will be useful in helping background estimation that can "fake" or obscure the real signals coming from the detector since the signal process is rare and hard to detect while the background is usually more common. Study of the gauge coupling process can lead to better understanding of electroweak symmetry breaking which gives the gauge boson mass and at the same time can serve as a tool or probe to find the new heavier Higgs described beyond Standard Model.

ATLAS is a particle detector located at the Large Hadron Collider that is used to perform experiments in high-energy physics. In 2014, the Insertable B-Layer (IBL) was implemented into the center of the ATLAS detector to protect detector layers against radiation damage and provide additional particle tracking accuracy. During the years leading up to the implementation of the IBL, the ATLAS scientific community had asked for computer visualizations of the detector that were updated to show the addition of the IBL. Using the computer graphics software 3DS Max, we implemented the IBL in the detector images to produce a new, up-to-date generation of ATLAS detector images. Following this graphical update of the detector itself, we are planning on developing a new set of 3D computer animations that visualize the physical concepts behind the ATLAS experiments, including the LHC’s role in searching for discoveries related to dark matter, origins of the universe, and the Higgs boson. These animations will be used in scientific education as a useful way to visualize important concepts in particle physics.